Just occasionally I am deeply ashamed of Spain and utterly appalled by some aspects of the culture of Spain – with the annual Tordesillas El Toro de la Vega bull hunt a dreadful example of animal cruelty in Spain that casts a deep shadow on Spain as a modern, liberal society.
The El Toro de la Vega bull hunt occurs annually during the September fiesta of Tordesillas, a small town of 9,000 people situated to the north of central Spain and close to the city of Vallodalid. It is here that a bull is chased by 100 plus riders and a mob of people who continually spear the animal until it collapses from its injuries – before being given the coup de grace by one of the ‘heroic’ people who have chased it.
If you can bear to watch the video below showing the Tordesillas El Toro de la Vega bull hunt then you will see in detail what occurs. I think it is shocking, disgraceful and irredeemably cruel. Incredibly, the event has been declared of National Touristic Interest!
What does this say about Spain and the tolerance within Spain to animal cruelty?
Well, a lot, I fear, together with a totally misplaced idea of what tourists want to see from Spain.
Certainly, I would urge you to avoid the Tordesillas bull hunt and ‘vote with your feet’ to show your disgust, so that this brutal event can die from sheer lack of interest. Indeed, maybe a damaging lack of tourist commercial support for the town will eventually persuade the Tordesillas authorities to ban the event for good.
Needless to say, the justification for the continuance of the Tordesillas bull hunt revolves around both raw commercial interest (it brings money into the town, according to the Mayor) and the fact that it is a time honoured event that has been going on since at least the 14th Century and possibly earlier.
Well, there was time when women were considered the chattels of their husbands and could be beaten without recourse to justice. There was a time when bear baiting was acceptable and a time when public hangings and burnings were considered an excuse for a good day out. All were ‘time honoured’, all had been going on for centuries and all, thankfully, have been abandoned by civilized societies – along with cock fighting, dog fighting, gladiatorial contests and a host of other previously acceptable events of cruelty to both animals and people.
So, why does Spain persist in allowing animal cruelty?
Truly I do not know.
That said, the sanctions for animal cruelty in Spain are pitiful, as I have written previously, with the maximum fine a paltry 100 Euros. There are no jail sentences in Spain for those committing animal cruelty and it appears that the police have little interest in pursuing those that commit it. Indeed, what can the police do about general animal cruelty – whilst the public torture of a bull to death remains acceptable, such as at the Tordesillas El Toro de la Vega bull hunt?
Of course, when dealing with the subject of animal cruelty in Spain, it is impossible to avoid raising the controversy of bullfighting in Spain. I fully understand that this is not a sport and that it is considered an art form, in the eyes of the Spanish. However, an art form that involves the injuring and death of an animal? Would we still consider this an ‘art form’ if it was a human involved rather than an animal (as in the days of gladiatorial contests in Rome)?
Of course, not! Cruelty is always unacceptable and death, for animals or humans alike, should be accompanied by as much dignity and ‘humanity‘ as possible. Always – with no reasons or excuses acceptable for any other action!
The trouble is that the continuances of bullfighting in Spain makes cruelty to animals in Spain appear ‘acceptable’. After all, for as long as bullfighting in Spain remains legal, how can the state differentiate between the spearing of a bull in an auditorium and the repeated stabbing of a dog or cat on a public street?
The crazy thing is that Spain is one of the most liberal states in Europe – and therefore the world. Quite rightly, women’s rights and gay rights and those of disabled people are heavily enshrined in the law. In fact, if you are a human all is fine and dandy.
But for animals in Spain it is a different matter and Spain, to its disgrace, is well behind other First World countries in ensuring that its liberalism extends to the animal world. This needs correcting – with the sooner events like the Tordesillas bull hunt are banned the better…
Nick Snelling - Culture Spain
FURTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION AND ARTICLES
Great article and points Nick. Spain is the one of the most confusing “developed” countries full of contradictions. On the business front it took me 6 weeks, 2 visits to the notary and cost €2,500 to set up an company (SL) – it was a two stage process which involved a share capital increase. Last week it took me 2 hours and cost £8 to: file UK Limited company accounts; change the name of the company and adopt new articles of association – all online and response to email queries in 45 minutes. Also, small UK companies do not have to register for VAT which is enormous hassle here in Spain OR with UK Information Commissioner (because it is a small business and only processing data for the core business purpose). In Spain ALL companies and individuals have to register under Data Protection law, any costs associated with that are refundable IF you are an existing company (up to €250 I think) but if you are a start up/autonomo you do not get a refund – great way to encourage entrepreneurs!
Bull hunting is a vulgar ‘sport’, the people who do this are nothing more than evil bullies. What did this poor innocent creature do to deserve to be tortured to death? It really does make my blood boil to see any kind of animal cruelty and I hope the people who take part in this kind of sick disgusting torture die in an equally painful and cruel way themselves.
Having watched the video, it seems to me that the the Tordesillas bull-spearing is no more than officially condoned animal torture, for kicks.
The actual event is the same process practiced by our hunter-gatherer forebears in acquiring something to eat. There are some societies left on the planet which need to hunt wild animals for food but the Spain’s is not one of them.
As I was watching this video I had a notion that the mental state of the participants must have been very similar to the mental state of the rioters in UK cities, of recent days. That is, doing something essentially beyond the accepted norms of the society that they live in, something destructive and with an element of danger, enjoying it and getting away with it.
Ironically, in Spain this involves the death of an animal at the hands of a mob but no violence in their social/economic protests. In UK, fox hunting and deer hunting have been banned but mobs trash their own localities for no reason other than to enjoy it and political protest often ends in savage pitched battles with the police. It is bizarre.
Personal and group power, spiced up by violence – or a ‘violence-substitute’ seems to be necessary to most societies. Anyone who doubts this should check out the participating countries in this year’s Rugby World Cup. It’s not just the usual suspects of Home Nations + France and the 3 Southern Hemisphere countries. The organised and regulated combat that is Rugby Union has appeal in places as diverse as Fiji and Russia. Then there’s football. Less violent, more widespread. The finals at Wimbledon are the epitome of gladiatorial confrontation, particularly the men’s game, with its emphasis on physical power.
Spain allows the Tordesillas event and bull fighting, There will always be a section of Spanish society that will engage in these, as participants or spectators, whilst it is still legal. Spanish society will work out for itself where the line should be drawn between indulging in barbarous behaviour and giving it up as unworthy of 21st C human activity. They’ll get there, in the end.
Tordesillas Bull cruelty is beyond belief. The crazed locals running alongside, wanting to see blood and agony must be high on alcohol and cocaine as no sane man could possible enjoy such unnecessary cruelty!
These peole are sick and should all be checked by psychologists.
Truly Sick.
Everyone shoud Boycott this town and the area of Valladolid until such cruelty is outlawed!
[...] Bullfighting in Spain – the Tordesillas bull hunt [...]
[...] Bullfighting in Spain – the Tordesillas bull hunt [...]
[...] Bullfighting in Spain – the Tordesillas bull hunt [...]
[...] Bullfighting in Spain – the Tordesillas bull hunt [...]